Thursday, June 28, 2012

It's too hot outside! Everywhere from Phoenix to Denver is dealing with triple digits. Heck, Minneapolis was forecasted to reach 100 degrees yesterday! So, what's a person to do? Enjoy a cool, refreshing Watermelon Margarita compliments of Clinton Kelly at The Chew. (By the way, did you know that watermelon is a vegetable?!?! http://www.watermelon.org/Fruit-or-Vegetable.aspx)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

In celebration of yesterday being the first day of summer, we thought about summery, sunshiny drinks. Thoughts of Tequila Sunrises came to mine, as well as the good ol' beer/vodka/lemonade Summer Brew. But today, for your summer slurping pleasure, we bring you, courtesy of the The Quarry Golf Club of San Antonio the Summer Fling Margarita. It uses Skinny Girl Ready-to-Serve Margaritas mixed with Fresca, plus a little more tequila if you want it stronger. So get your solstice on tonight (as if we ever needed an excuse).

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Summer is a perfect time to entertain -- friends, food and cocktails on the back patio or around the pool. But, in the heat of the summer, who wants to spend time in a hot kitchen cooking and baking? Our friends at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board have developed 50 cheese-based treats on toothpicks that are easy to assemble, pretty to look at and tasty to eat. Fill a platter with a few of these, mix up a pitcher of refreshing cocktails and you're set for a party -- without breaking a sweat.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Cocktails should be fun. And, what's more fun than concocting cocktails that go with a particular holiday or season? So, this week, in honor of Flag Day (and in anticipation of Independence Day just around the corner), we looked around for ideas for patriotic cocktail recipes!

In the search for ideas, we came across a new liqueur we hadn't tried before called Hpnotiq. It is blend of French vodka, exotic fruit juices and a touch of cognac. Most special is its wonderful vibrant blue color, which makes it a natural as a base for layered red, white and blue drinks. (The same company also has introduced Hpnotiq Harmonie, which sports a beautiful violet shade which we will revisit on a future Thirsty Thursday.)

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Sometimes, dinner is created by what's on hand. Now, granted, I have a somewhat eclectic pantry, so I have a bit more "on hand" than others, but this dish can easily be made in under 15 minutes after a brief stop to the store. If you can't find Thai basil or aren't growing your own (I got a plant for $2 at Home Depot and it grows like crazy!), use regular basil. It just won't be as peppery.

Note, it only serves 2...I've been practicing my "empty nesting" recipes in preparation for this fall when our daughter heads off to college. Also note that the measurements are not exact. Use your intuition, taste and creativity to make it your own. You could add diced cucumber as well, and we served it with cubed mango drizzled with lime juice.

Asian Chicken Pesto
Pasta

Serves 2

1 rotisserie chicken breast, shredded

One large handful slaw mix

One bundle Asian noodles

One large handful Thai basil

7-10 mint leaves

One handful peanuts, roasted briefly in hot skillet

2 garlic cloves

Dash sesame oil

olive oil

Sriracha

Place chicken in large mixing bowl. Meanwhile bring water to
boil in large skillet, place in Asian noodles.Turn off heat and let sit until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and add
to bowl with chicken. Add in slaw mix and salt. In a food processor, combine Thai basil, mint, salt to taste, peanuts, garlic cloves, sesame oil until it forms a paste.
Add about ½ c. olive oil and process until somewhat smooth. Pour over
ingredients in bowl, mix and serve with Sriracha hot sauce if you want it spicy.

Friday, June 1, 2012

For this week's Thirsty Thursday, (which I now realize is a day late but hopefully not a dollar short), I decided to do an homage to my buddy Barb, who is celebrating her birthday today on a fabulous beach in Mexico.

I briefly considered some type of Margarita, but frankly, I'm feeling a bit bored by that right now. So, I went with her favorite booze -- Bourbon. Lately, I've been sort of converted to bourbon by a series of bar cocktails that featured a bit of honey in the mix. So, here's what I've found for this week: a Manhattan Honeymoon from AllRecipes.comthat seems to fit the bill. It's a traditional Manhattan with a little sweet twist. Enjoy!

About Us

Welcome!

This isn’t a “foodie” blog. This is a blog by two sometimes frenzied women who love food, and love sharing it with family and friends. We’re all about making cooking and entertaining fun, interesting, and accessible to everyone. While we each have more than our share of recipes and cookbooks, there’s a limit to where those will take you. Let’s face it – we aren’t all organized enough to plan every meal in advance and ensure we have all of the exact ingredients the recipes call for on hand. Most nights, we “wing” it.

So, in addition to great recipes, we share techniques, tips and favorite foods that will help you put a great-looking and great tasting meal on the table every night! We’re not a gluten-free site – but, since one of us was diagnosed gluten-intolerant, recipes and tips we think will be helpful in this area also are included.

Come on in and make yourself at home. Drop us a line, ask us a question, make a comment, share ideas. Join our feeding frenzy!

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while your are eating with friends."